“Five Days at Memorial is a disaster medical drama tv series created by John Ridley and Carlton Cuse. Starring Vera Farmiga, Molly Hager, Robert Pine, Cornelius Smith Jr., and many others, the series revolves around the aftermath and difficulties Memorial Medical Center goes through five days after Hurricane Katrina hits the city. With the floodwaters rising by the second, the hospital’s electricity fails and the searing heat continues to rise.
Panicked hospital staff and caregivers must make some of the hardest decisions of their careers that could change their lives forever. The narrative shows the heart-wrenching decisions the protagonists make regarding the victims of the tragic event, making it a sentimental and insightful watch for the audience.
In addition, the realistic depiction of the hurricane and the interesting use of locations make one think about the filming locations of the movie “Five Days at Memorial”.
Where Was Five Days at Memorial Series Filmed?
“Five Days at Memorial is being filmed in Ontario and Louisiana, specifically in Toronto, Hamilton, Mississauga, and New Orleans. Principal photography for the inaugural season began in May 2021 and ended in November of that year.
Although the story takes place in New Orleans, most of the filming takes place in Ontario, and the film crew does a commendable job of representing the province to Crescent City. Now, without further ado, let’s take a look at all the specific locations featured in the Five Days at Memorial medical drama series!
Toronto
Several key sequences of “Five Days at Memorial” take place in Toronto, the capital of Ontario. The production team will camp at North York General Hospital (NYGH), specifically The Branson Ambulatory Care Center (formerly Branson Hospital) at 555 Finch Avenue West in North York County.
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In August 2021, the cast and crew were spotted filming several scenes from the debut season at the Michener Institute of Education at 222 Street Patrick Street.
Hamilton
Many important parts of the medical drama series are filmed in Hamilton, a port city in Ontario. According to reports, for Season 1, the film crew built a set on a vacant lot on Gage Avenue North, located between Beach Road and Barton Street East. In addition, the York Boulevard and Bay Street South, and King Street West parking garages also serve as a couple of prominent filming locations for star Vera Farmiga.
In addition, the production team shot several crucial sequences from the first episode at the Hamilton Convention Center by Carmen’s at 1 Summers Lane and the Hamilton Spectator building acquired by the McMaster Innovation Park at 175 Longwood Road South Suite 101A. A large set, including a helipad, was built at Flamboro Speedway at 873 5th Concession Road West in Millgrove to resemble a helipad on top of the building.
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In addition, Summers Lane and Commonwealth Square at 80 Main Street West, between the Art Gallery of Hamilton and Hamilton Place, were covered in rubble depicting the aftermath of hurricane flooding and the storm-ravaged hospital. In an interview with the Toronto Star in late July 2022, Carlton Cuse, co-creator of the show, revealed how they were able to depict the flooded city and hospital.
Cuse said: “We ended up building a four million dollar reservoir in Hamilton and it was big enough to literally pull boats into it… Couple that with the constructed helipad as shown above which also plays a major role in the series. Mostly because of the special effects, it “looked like it was on a rooftop in New Orleans”.
Mississauga
For the filming of Season 1, the cast and crew of “Five Days at Memorial” also visited Mississauga, a city in Ontario adjacent to Toronto to the east. They were spotted filming several key scenes in and around Cantay Road and White Hart Lane during the production schedule.
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Apart from this medical drama, several other movies and TV shows such as ‘A Simple Favor ‘The Enemy’, and ‘Station Eleven’ have been shot in the city.
Louisiana
Last but not least, the crew stopped in New Orleans, a consolidated city-parish in southeastern Louisiana, for the first season. Apparently, they traveled around the city shooting exteriors on suitable backdrops for the Five Days at Memorial Apple TV+ series.
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Since the series is set in New Orleans, it only made sense that the production team shot several scenes on location in Crescent City.
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